Blackhawks won’t wear Pride jerseys, citing new Russian law
A National Hockey League team with a Russian player has decided against wearing special warmup jerseys to commemorate Pride night, citing an antigay Kremlin law that could imperil Russian athletes when they return home.
The Chicago Blackhawk will not wear Pride-themed warmup jerseys before Sunday’s game against Vancouver, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press, because of security concerns involving the law, which expands restrictions on supporting LGBTQ rights. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it in December.
The decision was made by the Blackhawks following discussions with security officials within and outside the franchise, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke Wednesday to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the move.
Chicago coach Luke Richardson said Thursday he and his players were disappointed and called it “an unfortunate situation.”
“I don’t think we can control the world issues, so that takes it out of our hands,” Richardson said. “We’re just making decisions as best we can as an organization and for everybody.”
The league declined to comment through a spokesperson.
The decision comes amid increasing threats to freedom of expression in the U.S. and abroad. Conservative political forces have sought to ban LGBTQthemed books from American school libraries and to forbid classroom lessons that mention sexuality and some aspects of race relations.
Similar pressures have forced Russian players to walk a careful line since the invasion of Ukraine, with some cautiously speaking out against the war even with family members still living in Russia. Last year, Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov ran into several roadblocks as he traveled back to the U.S., raising concerns about his safety.
Chicago defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is a Moscow native, and there are other players with family in Russia or other connections to the country. Zaitsev was not made available to reporters in Washington.